■■ ■■ Relevant: the training should relate to the day-to-day experience of the trainee, especially for professional training; Varied: varying the training techniques helps keep the trainees motivated and interested. 3. Programmes should exploit the media As a general principle, when designing promotional and educational activities consideration should be given to how the media can be brought in and engaged. Positive media coverage can raise the profile of the NHRI and its work, and encourage access to it. Moreover, media involvement can help to inform journalists and makes it more likely that in their daily work they will have a human rights focus or, at least, a human rights awareness. Staff should have training in communications and media relations, as the media can have a critical role in ensuring that the NHRI is well perceived externally.55 There are a number of reasons why it is important for an institution to make its decisions public. ■■ Creating a culture of human rights includes promoting an open and honest discussion of human rights. The open use of the media encourages this; ■■ The NHRI aims to improve the existing human rights situation. This requires it to be able to communicate openly and to use press organs to inform the public and mobilize public opinion; ■■ Impunity thrives in an environment of secrecy. Publicizing perceived wrongdoings opens up the issue to public scrutiny and helps hold the Government and, as necessary, the individual accountable for action or inaction; ■■ Reporting on the work of the institution also informs the public about its existence and the ways in which it can assist; ■■ Any public and democratic institution must be open and transparent in its activities. An NHRI must lead by example in this respect. Communications planning is a key part of any media strategy. Communications are often treated as a mere add-on. In fact, communications are part of strategic planning and should be closely integrated into it, including an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the NHRI, and the particular characteristics of the media and the human rights environment. 55 See R. Carver, “Developing a communications plan”, ACE Project, Media and Elections, available from http://aceproject.org/ace-en/topics/me. 60